By Khalida Sarwari
Racist fliers that appear to be the handiwork of a white nationalist group have been popping up all across the country and now seem to be penetrating the Bay Area’s progressive bubble. Over the past month, the posters have been discovered in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood, Saratoga and Campbell.
Saratoga appears to be the latest target of Patriot Front, a Texas-based nationalist group led by a 19-year-old white man. The group’s manifesto alludes to a “pan-European identity which forms the roots of our nationhood” and the caveat: “An African may have lived, worked, and even been classed as a citizen in America for centuries, yet he is not American.”
A longtime Saratoga resident who didn’t want to be named but identified himself as a 60-year-old retired software engineering manager stumbled upon the posters while taking a walk on Big Basin Way on Tuesday morning. He said he tore them all down and called the city.
One of the posters he saw states: “Keep America American” and implores the reader to report “illegal aliens” to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “They are criminals,” the flier reads in bold red and black print.
Lauren Pettipiece, a spokeswoman for the city, confirmed the resident’s report and encouraged others who come across such material to notify the public works department. She said it’s illegal to post fliers of any kind on city property, including the downtown newspaper bins and directory on which the resident reported seeing the fliers.
“If the responsible person were identifiable they would be fined up to $100 per occurrence,” Pettipiece said.
A 58-year-old Saratoga resident who asked to be identified only by his first name John said this is the first time in his 24 years in the city that he’s witnessed such outright racism.
“I used to believe that none of my neighbors in Saratoga are racist, but recently I’ve noticed on Nextdoor.com that some Saratoga residents’ comments do show some racist attitudes,” John said. “This usually happens when the sheriff or a citizen posts something regarding theft or some crime. These posts usually will have quite a bit more replies, and every now and then someone will say something about building the wall or sanctuary state. If someone else calls them out on these comments being racist, they will lash back.”
In the wake of the Saratoga incident, other local residents took to social media to share similar experiences. Lauren Renaud, a 32-year-old data analyst, told this news organization she was walking home from lunch in Willow Glen on June 13 when she saw a Patriot Front poster on a lightpost.
The flier left her shaken up, she said, and she immediately took it down and stuffed it in her bag. “That was unexpected. I didn’t quite know that we had that here.”
Renaud said she didn’t report the flier to the city and hasn’t discarded it. She is conflicted about what to do with it, she said.
“I feel like I don’t want it in my house, but part of me doesn’t want to throw it away because it reminds me that someone really put this poster up in my town,” she said. “It reminds me it was real.”
On June 26, Campbell city officials removed posters by Identity Evropa, labeled a white nationalist group by civil rights organizations. The posters advertised Identity Evropa and its website with “Our generation, Our Future, Our Last Chance” over a picture of white men.
